By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, in order to guide the executive branch in formulating and implementing policies with implications for the religious liberty of persons and organizations in America, and to further compliance with the Constitution and with applicable statutes and Presidential Directives, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive branch to vigorously enforce Federal law’s robust protections for religious freedom. The Founders envisioned a Nation in which religious voices and views were integral to a vibrant public square, and in which religious people and institutions were free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by the Federal Government. For that reason, the United States Constitution enshrines and protects the fundamental right to religious liberty as Americans’ first freedom. Federal law protects the freedom of Americans and their organizations to exercise religion and participate fully in civic life without undue interference by the Federal Government. The executive branch will honor and enforce those protections.

Sec. 2. Respecting Religious and Political Speech. All executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall, to the greatest extent practicable and to the extent permitted by law, respect and protect the freedom of persons and organizations to engage in religious and political speech. In particular, the Secretary of the Treasury shall ensure, to the extent permitted by law, that the Department of the Treasury does not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship, or other religious organization on the basis that such individual or organization speaks or has spoken about moral or political issues from a religious perspective, where speech of similar character has, consistent with law, not ordinarily been treated as participation or intervention in a political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) a candidate for public office by the Department of the Treasury. As used in this section, the term “adverse action” means the imposition of any tax or tax penalty; the delay or denial of tax-exempt status; the disallowance of tax deductions for contributions made to entities exempted from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of title 26, United States Code; or any other action that makes unavailable or denies any tax deduction, exemption, credit, or benefit.

Sec. 3. Conscience Protections with Respect to Preventive-Care Mandate. The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall consider issuing amended regulations, consistent with applicable law, to address conscience-based objections to the preventive-care mandate promulgated under section 300gg-13(a)(4) of title 42, United States Code.

Sec. 4. Religious Liberty Guidance. In order to guide all agencies in complying with relevant Federal law, the Attorney General shall, as appropriate, issue guidance interpreting religious liberty protections in Federal law.

Sec. 5. Severability. If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any individual or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its other provisions to any other individuals or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

Well, really he has made Black churches legal again. I have long been told by many students about the politics that go along with those 2-5 hours long sermons on Sunday. The black churches never feared that the federal government would come knocking on their door to shut down a politician from speaking. I have first hand knowledge of this happening (candidates speaking at churches) in order to get Democrat votes. So now we have freedom of religion and less dishonest and criminal elements sitting in churches throughout America.

Ummm…Democrats are not religous people at all for most part and the Black churches have been democrat get out the vote etc for decades….In North Carolina and Virginia they have a massive early vote operation using exclusively Black churches and they even uses the buses proudly…

Make sure you take note of the fact of exactly WHO was brought up on that stage, with the President to sign a Religious Freedom Order, on the National Day of Prayer……

The Little Sisters of the Poor.

Don’t know who they are? The Little Sisters of the Poor, a Roman Catholic religious institute for women, was involved in a bitter lawsuit after they objected to paying for contraception under Obamacare mandates.

You can jump in anytime Big Mama TEA, always enjoy hearing what you have to say. Plus, it sure didn’t hurt when you had let me jump in a few weeks past either. 🙃 I appreciated that.

The lady in pink, pretty in pink was Paula, and had been working on this for two years. She received the second pen. I don’t anymore about her though, does anyone here? Kinda hard to research with only knowing a first name.

I would’ve also liked to have known who the others on the stage were while he signed the E.O.’s.

It was good to see them all so happy and smiling. I especially loved seeing the two sisters on the stage, they earned it in my book. Loved the lawyer comments too from our President. It was nice to see him give them credit as well. They did a heck of a job not only for the sisters, but all of our Nation.

Sadly, the ACLU is mainly an all-volunteer organization. Local lawyers sue pro bono under the aegis of the ACLU – I’m not sure how it works. Years ago, some friends and I tried to get an ACLU lawyer to take our civil rights case (can’t remember what it was about now) and the ACLU office in Portland said we’d have to find an atty to sue for us. We couldn’t fine one, so no case.
So, whoever tweeted above, that “ACLU is suing” must have gotten a press release from some ambulance-chaser who was all ready to go as soon as the EO was signed. If they go to the Ninth Circuit it will be hilarious! Now is the time to point and laugh!!!

Good…Your supposed to make changes and then both Houses have a Conference…The fact is these republicans don’t want to give up the goodies…As if folks on Medicaid vote republican and any of it is good healthcare to begin with…

Ministers and priests still have to be careful – of their own congregations. Remember, we are split about 50-50. So any sermons should be carefully reasoned and based strictly on the Bible!

I left my RC parish when I could no longer stand the priest essentially issuing orders from the pulpit. And my Mother said RC priests used to tell congregants from the pulpit who to vote for. My Dad, the RC in the family, did not reply. He may have left, too, but didn’t want to upset us kids.

Investigating, don’t you think that the same way that there are good priests/ministers/rabbis, there are also members of congregations who don’t want to hear anything that makes them feel uncomfortable?

At least now no one is under threat of some kind of punishment for saying what they see as truth. It was getting kind of creepy for awhile. I think this is a really big deal, even bigger than the healthcare.

I’ll believe in liberal PC justice when a same sex couple sues a religious minority into oblivion and the 9th circuit has to split the baby. It isn’t courageous to take away the rights of Christians because, in my experience, they don’t behead or burn down.

All executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall, to the greatest extent practicable and to the extent permitted by law,

“…to the extent permitted by law.” If it violates the law, infringes on the (real, not invented) rights of others, the color of religion doesn’t excuse or permit it. So, the Mohammedans can’t have a Shariah parallel legal system, multiple wives, marry children, have “intimate relationships” with children, rape infidels women or boys, execute gays, engage in honor killing, enforce Shariah blasphemy laws, engage in subversive or seditious speech that results in such behavior or get their jihad on.

SCOTUS opined long ago that calling criminal activity “religious” doesn’t cut it. However, I’m sure the 9th Circuit will be available to support Shariah ushering in their own demise. We don’t have to and never did. The Johnson Amendment was never Constitutional. It wouldn’t have stood up in (a real) court. No one challenged it legally, as far as I know.

“I Will Be Here” reduces me to sobbing blob. I adore that song. One of his earlier hits, “For the Sake of the Call” is my favorite, it inspires me bigly, I saw him in concert with Amy Grant years ago. I used to go to a lot of CCM concerts mostly all in the 90s when I was young mom with two little kids bringing them up in the way they should go as the Bible teaches.

Christians have been effectively silenced, politically, in their own churches. They have been sued by the government for standing up for their faith, and mocked by the media and universities to a horrible extent.

Meanwhile Muslims have not been silenced in Mosques (nor on the street nor in our schools.) And media makes a constant big deal about their “rights” and how they should be respected, thus giving Islam honors while mocking Christianity.

A day of Chrisitan prayer and celebration right at the White House was a sight to behold, and a joy to hear.

Nice he kept another commitment….It really doesn’t matter what happens in court or whatever…He is doing his best and that’s all we can ask…He doesn’t have magical powers….but I’m sure some supposedly on our side will gripe, that’s all they do …..

The Founding Fathers said, when the WEAKEST OF THE BRANCHES, i.e., the judiciary, goes for too much power, that it is well within the constitutional authorities of both the executive and the legislature to limit the judiciary- by limiting their jurisdictional authority, establishing and abolishing courts, impeaching individual judges, etc. The only court specifically established in the Constitution is SCOTUS; all of the others are established by legislative statute (with the approval of the executive). Even SCOTUS can be adjusted/manipulated-FDR threatened to “pack the court,” i.e., tell Congress to increase the number of seats on the SC, which would have allowed him to appoint several hand-picked jurists to the new seats, if the SC didn’t get out of his way.

It is well past time for Congress and POTUS to exercise their authority and bring the WEAKEST OF THE BRANCHES to heel. Black-robed tyrants-for-life are totally antithetical to the Republic, arguably even worse than an imperial president, and most of the problems in federal governance today can be traced back to judicial power grabs

So let me get this straight: The American Civil Liberties Union is suing President Trump over an executive order that solidly keeps in place one of the greatest civil liberties that this country was founded on?

These people (ACLU) make my skin crawl with their outrageous and evil accusations. Always so worried that a non-Christian might be offended. Well, I’m offended by their constant attacks on Christianity and Christians. Bring it on ACLU, it is time to shut your “straight from the pit of he!!” organization down. 🔥🔥🔥

Hammer and nail right there. Dangerously ignorant. In fact, they’re so dumb and indoctrinated with fake history and so busy emoting over their outrage du jour, they have no idea that the reason all faiths, and people with none, have that unalienable right recognized and protected is because of Christianity, its believe in Natural Law or that Natural Law underpins our laws and their rights. Silence and destroy Christianity, destroy your own rights. You’re right, allhail2. They’re pretty dang dumb.

Yes, of course, there are dumb Christians and Christians who have skewed the Bible to do evil, but they were never supported by God’s Own Word. They were, and are, political and self-serving actors, not followers of Jesus.

Islam is another story and these dumb dimwits would do well to know from original sources of what they speak and support, but then, since they are certain they’re smarter than everyone else, they don’t need to do such silly things as actually research what they think they know.

I totally disagree with this. If churches/religious organizations are going to expound on politics from the pulpit then they need to give up the tax exemption. Religious organizations are there to provide spiritual succor, not political action directives. If members of a congregation choose individually to vote their conscience then great, they should. Their leader should not be telling them how their god(s) want them to vote.

No, speech is speech. Anyone with a platform to speak is free to do so, whether it’s a priest or a “community organizer.” I am not allowed to post about politics becuase I pay taxes, I would have freedom of speech even if I didn’t pay any taxes. Same goes for non profit organizations that don’t pay taxes and are secular, such as the NRA. The NRA doesn’t have to pay taxes to be able to tell it’s members which candidate they think will protect their rights.

Actually, I think they (NRA) and all other non-profits have to have a separate organization devoted specifically and only to politics. The main organization may not get involved in politics. What I’m not sure about is whether the law distinguishes between candidates and issues.

If you don’t like what you hear from the pulpit in your church you are free to leave anytime and go somewhere you do like. Or the church can fire the old leader and get a new one. Anyway, thank you Mr. President, what another great day for the people of the United States..MAGA

Stop the mamby pamby stuff. Our christian churches have been silenced by the left so they can n ot even preach about our faith if it is not politically correct. Do you know that the IRS can ask for a sermon to test it for political correctness under the penalty of taking away the tax exemption, total bullying. I want my pastor to talk about our faith, and if that means it picks a candidate, too bad.

This very thing happened in GA (USA) just recently: a Pastor was asked for his sermon texts bc someone had complained he was preaching “hate”.
He refused to relinquish them, saying they were his own property, and he was peaching from The Word, which is God’s property.
Last I heard they were planning on arresting him.

Actually I am a very religious person. I am also legal clergy and have spent time on the board of a religious non profit. So don’t presume you are better than me. My job is not to politic for my favorite candidate. My job is to make sure the people who come to me for counsel are living in a way that is consistent with their beliefs and values, not to tell them who to vote for. If I am doing my job right they should be able to figure out who to vote for all on their own.

So you are telling me that my pastor CANNOT discuss matters of BIBLICAL cosmology and morality from the pulpit? Because YOU would not? Please expound upon this. Also, please give the list of MORAL issues we are not allowed to preach about. Welfare? Widows? Orphans? Taxes? Abortion? Marriage? Child-rearing? Etc.?

actually, yes I am. Religious tax exemptions are given under the understanding that they will not act as political action organizations. If your church wants to give up its tax exempt status then great.

Freedom of speech which is a God give right (or should be), should not be coupled with a Man created law of taxation. The only laws it should be coupled with are God given laws such as Thou Shalt Not Kill. So a religion that advocates killing should be banned.

The problem has to do with leveling the playing field. The law is designed to persecute Christian churches, specifically conservative or evangelical churches.

Liberal churches are never prosecuted for this.

Rev. Franklin Graham and Rev. Darrell Scott have two different roles, yet neither could speak their minds as American citizens for fear that the institutions they headed would be punished. That’s extortion no matter how you slice it.

It has been a long fight for this old lady over the past two years. Fighting Democrats in my state, fighting mamby pamby Republicans in my state, fighting Cruzbots/NeverTrumpers/Holier-than-thou-Christians at the Republican National Convention, etc., ad nauseam.

With every promise President Trump has kept I smile and once again give thanks to the Lord, God Almighty for the man He put in office.

And to all the holier-than-thou-Christians who have been fighting against Donald Trump because he was not “Conservative” enough for you — he was not “Christian” enough for you — I say, show me where your Conservative Christian has done this much, so quickly, under extreme adversity, for the cause of Christ and His redeemed.

From what I understand, this does not protect Christian businesses from being able to refuse to bake a cake or take wedding pics, etc. for a gay couple. Am I right? I don’t think Christians should have to spend their life savings protecting their right to religious freedom. Pence says let the courts decide. NO! It’s our 1st amendment right and is ALREADY protected so it shouldn’t be left for “the stinkin’ courts to decide.” There are plenty of people who are willing to do serve gay couples so they should go to someone else and stop purposely persecuting and being allowed to purposely persecute the Christians since it’s already a constitutional right.

The issue with the Christian businesses lies foremost in various states, IIRC. You see the issue in places like CA, WA, OR, etc, rather than the Bible Belt. I think the federal government’s role in that form of persecution has been rather limited, even under Zero’s reign. I’m open to correction, though

State anti-discrimination laws which regulate local business practices can’t be changed by a presidential order, so Pence is technically correct. Courts can decide, and your state can write laws to address the issue. So far the Supreme Court has declined several times to review these kinds of cases, letting the lower court rulings stand.

it’s legally the problem between longstanding state vs. federal rights. States control local commerce rules and rates. Federal laws may not supersede them. For the most part, trade (selling) is not considered speech.

I get what you’re saying, but we’re talking religious freedom, not free speech. I’m not trying to be difficult so please bear with me. It is my understanding that a state cannot usurp those inalienable rights (i.e., constitutional rights overrule states rights). Am I wrong?

Those rights not specifically designated to the government in the Constitution are all reserved for the states. This allows states to set fifty different rates for sales and municipal taxes and individual rules of commerce that can’t be overruled by the federal government.

In cases where bakers (for example) refused to supply an offensive expression such as a swastika or an erotic design not normal for the bakery, they prevailed at trial under First Amendment grounds.

But the bakers who objected to supplying even generic cakes, if they were to be consumed at a same-sex ceremony, lost at both local and appellate levels.

The only bases for refusing trade, in most states and in most instances, is if the customer is acting disruptive, if they refuse to pay, or if the product requested is not a normally provided item or service.

MaineCoon: you should…if you are interested, Metaxas’ tome on Bonhoeffer was universally acclaimed as one of the best biographies of the year, despite the fact of who Bonhoeffer was.
(He was imprisoned by the Nazis for preaching The Bible, and was hung one day before liberation.)

Yes, I worked with the BG Crusade when it came to my city back in the 80s. The groundwork is laid six months in advance with prayer warriors and counselor training. At the Crusade, those who come forward are ushered into the hands of those who can help them find a church or community of believers that will help nurture their nascent faith. It’s not random at all but very supportive.

I count myself as privileged to have had that opportunity and to have attended a crusade where the wonderful Rev. Billy Graham preached. I miss seeing him preaching. There will never be another Billy Graham. He changed the course of many many lives.

The ACLU was founded by the American Communist Party in 1927 (Headquarters-Chicago, ILL). Its intent was and is to use the American legal system as a weapon to destroy the American way of life. One hundred years later we are finally fighting back! MAGA!!!

Unfortunately the ACLU has only worked for the LBGTJ community for the last two decades. Christians must bake cakes for- and photograph marriages that they find offensive. Does it seem to you, as it does to me, that only liberals have to right to find offense in being forced to do something they don’t want to do. I personally don’t care if homosexuals think they are getting married. But I do personally care if I’m forced to partake of their ceremonies.

This ceremony (video) is the most touching of all. The depth of what this will do to change our country back to a God fearing country is unfathomable to even comprehend. Massive change. Praise God! Thank you God for anointing and appointing Trump to be our President.